Over the winter....

[picframer]

I envy you guys south of the snow belt, it must be a lot easier to prepare your equipment for the off season. For you guys in the snow belt what do you do to your machines? I had planned on buying a steel building, I have the land cleared but there is a few days of excavation and getting things done at home as always falls to the bottom of the pile and it doesn't look like it's going to happen. I was thinking Deere sells a liquid film you can spray on using a spray gun that I will probably use, quite a few pieces of gear will have to sit outside, I was thinking I would buy a lot of tarps, put what I can on pallets, spray and then cover. Have tried those portable garages but they just don't last here, the heavy wet snowfalls with strong winds simply tears them apart. Do many of you have to store your gear outside? If so what steps do you take to prepare the unit?? Andy

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Andy, I would figure you got more equipment than most members here. Are you looking at steel buildings like these? When you lay a foundation for such a structure how deep do you have to dig the foundation? I guess the depth changes based on the depth of the frost line? http://www.crownsteelbuildings.ca/

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[justin_time]

1st of all, i go to the store, get some fuel stabilizer. I put it in all my machines like a few hours before I know I will store them for winter. Let it run a bit and that should be good for winter.

For trimmers, I empty the gas out of the tank, leave some and run it until it runs out dry. That way you know there ain't gas that can freeze in the unit or whatever. Works great, put new gas in the spring, fires up no problem.

For storage, we don't have space here so my dad rents a rental storage unit just here and town and that's where I store my mowers

[Steve]

For storage, we don't have space here so my dad rents a rental storage unit just here and town and that's where I store my mowers

How is the equipment insured against theft? Do you need your own insurance or does the facility insure it against theft?

[justin_time]

Originally Posted by Steve

How is the equipment insured against theft? Do you need your own insurance or does the facility insure it against theft?

Good question, i don't have the answer to it but the doors are hard to get into.

They are garage doors that you pull up by hand. The lock we have on the door is pretty hard to cut with a deadbolt

Here's a picture of it

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

Andy,

I would figure you got more equipment than most members here.

Are you looking at steel buildings like these?

When you lay a foundation for such a structure how deep do you have to dig the foundation? I guess the depth changes based on the depth of the frost line?

Yes, the trees were cut this summer by staff, I need to lay 4" rock about 12" deep, mainly for drainage, cover with Class A and compact, then pour a slab of concrete.

Just don't have the time to take a few days to do it, I don;t even have my firewood in yet.....would do that tomorrow but now I have to work because of today, looks like I will be working Sunday and holiday Monday, not a happy camper.

[Steve]

I need to lay 4" rock about 12" deep, mainly for drainage, cover with Class A and compact, then pour a slab of concrete.

When you say cover with class A, whats that?

Do you have dig footing for this foundation? When are they necessary?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

When you say cover with class A, whats that?

Do you have dig footing for this foundation? When are they necessary?

Footings are only required if you are going to have walls, think of them as an underground support system. Basically I would hire a concrete company to come pour a slab but then again I was thinking pavement as it will take spilled gas and oil far better, I hadn't decided yet.

Up here we call Class A, Crusher run, it's 1/2" crushed stone with a black dust, if applied properly when we roll it, it's like concrete, here is a driveway we built in May, I should go back to this site and take pics as we did all the excavation work, landscaping etc. the lady wrote last week to say her property is the talk of the street, it's two acres on the Ocean but wuite a distance from where we generally work and the oposite direction of where I have three crews working now.

[picframer]

Originally Posted by justin_time

Good question, i don't have the answer to it but the doors are hard to get into.

They are garage doors that you pull up by hand. The lock we have on the door is pretty hard to cut with a deadbolt

Here's a picture of it

I think for this year I too will rent a garage in a gated centre, the security is very high although I will keep my insurance on, the garages are heated and I thing a 24 X20 would work, $150.00

Just google Metro Self Storage Halifax, they have a compound of these garages about 10 min from my house.

[Steve]

I think for this year I too will rent a garage in a gated centre, the security is very high although I will keep my insurance on, the garages are heated and I thing a 24 X20 would work, $150.00

Just google Metro Self Storage Halifax, they have a compound of these garages about 10 min from my house.

I think that would make things a lot easier for this winter.

up here we call Class A, Crusher run, it's 1/2" crushed stone with a black dust, if applied properly when we roll it, it's like concrete, here is a driveway we built in May

That looks very nice!

When you are pouring a concrete slab, what keeps it from heaving with the ground and cracking?